ALISO NIGUEL – An elimination game that started a few leisurely minutes late was given a jolt of life in the opening moments Monday night at Woodfield Park.

Trabuco Canyon's Adam Roecker and Jack Janett led off the game with back-to-back home runs, clearing the fence either side of centerfield, giving Trabuco Canyon a 2-0 lead after just four pitches.

The Trabuco Canyon Junior All-Stars held on to that lead, thanks in part to a stellar pitching performance by Roecker, and defeated Central Garden Grove, 5-1, in the Section 10 championship tournament.

"That was huge," Trabuco Canyon coach Michael Gaggiano said of the first-inning home runs. "It's always good to start the game off with two big blasts like that ... that's a huge lift, that will get us going."

Roecker allowed just one run in 52/3 innings on the mound, striking out five and giving up just one extra-base hit.

"That's exactly what I was expecting," Gaggiano said of his starter's performance. "He did the same thing for me in district, in the championship game at district. He went 99 pitches and six solid innings and got the championship in district, which was awesome. It's exactly what I expected from him."

When Central Garden Grove batters did make solid contact, it seemed like the Trabuco Canyon defense was always shifted in the right place to snare long fly balls and sinking line drives.

"Although we didn't do a whole lot (of scoring) after that (first inning), which kind of hurts, but we got the pitching we needed...we got the defense, that's how we win, that's our game: defense, pitching and enough hitting to win."

Trabuco Canyon added another run to the lead in the top of the second when Jake Schrier reached base on an error by the left fielder and eventually scored from third on a balk. Central Garden Grove threatened in the bottom of the second inning, but stranded the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the fourth, Central Garden Grove finally broke through. Francisco Cadiz led off the inning with a single and advanced on a throwing error. Pinch hitter Kyle Smith followed up with an RBI-single to plate the team's only run of the game.

Trabuco Canyon made the lead 5-1 in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs, once again courtesy of Roecker and Janett. Roecker reached base on an error before Janett drove him in with a double to the right-center field gap. Later Ryan Archibald brought Jannet home, grounding into a fielders choice.

Anthony Castro started on the mound for Central Garden Grove and, aside from the two early home runs, battled Roecker pitch-for-pitch. In 42/3 innings he allowed six hits and struck out five. Victor Lopez Jr. came on in relief and finished the game off for Central Garden Grove.

Schrier and Logan Welkowsky closed out the game for Trabuco Canyon, leaving Gaggiano feeling good about his pitching for the rest of the tournament.

About his team emerging from the losers bracket, Gaggiano said, "It is tough, but I'm telling you about this group, they're really tough. They're mentally strong, they're very loose...sometimes you think too loose, but then they go out there and perform. I'm not worried about these guys at all."

The victory keeps Trabuco Canyon alive in the tournament. It will face Fountain Valley today at 7 p.m. at Woodfield Park, needing two victories over the previously undefeated squad to win the championship.

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